Think, Pair, Share
By: Lauren McAlister

Think, Pair, Share is a SDAIE (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) strategy used to help English Language Learners learn academic content in English. This strategy has students individually think about a question asked by the teacher, pair together and discuss their ideas with a partner, and share their ideas as partner groups to the class. Think, Pair, Share can be used when introducing new concepts, clarifying previously learned content, drawing conclusions, formulating opinions, and defining academic content language.

Why Use SDAIE Strategies?
Krashen's Theory of Comprehensible Input states that ELL's experience a barrier to instruction in English.
  • In order to learn content, the input must be comprehensible to the English Language Learner
  • Barrier between content and learning due to lack of English knowledge
  • To make the input comprehensible, the barrier to the content must be broken
  • SDAIE strategies break down this barrier

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Why Think, Pair, Share?
Think, Pair, Share promotes active learning among all students.
  • Effective for all ages, all learners, and all subjects
  • Providing "reflection time" increases quality of responses and breaks the barrier to the content for ELLs
  • Allows students time to synthesize information
  • Talking about ideas helps students make sense of content
  • Students are more willing to share in pairs than individually
  • Able to differentiate pairs if necessary
  • Provides ELLs with assistance in a comfortable setting
    • ELL's review content and have questions clarified
    • Increase in confidence
    • Practice appropriate English skills
  • Easy to implement in large classes
  • Quick way for teacher to check for understanding
    • Identifies who has it and who doesn't
    • Intervention
    • Alter instruction if necessary

When to Use Think, Pair, Share
Think, Pair, Share can be used in all subject areas for a variety of learners.
1. Academic language/vocabulary review
2. Concept review
3. Topic development
4. Summarizing
5. Reading check
6. Making predictions and drawing conclusions
7. Anticipatory set, checking for understanding, and closure in a lesson

Using Think, Pair, Share
1. Ask students question, provide them with a discussion topic, or pose a problem.
2. Give students at least twenty seconds to THINK individually about the question, topic, or problem.
3. Group students in discussion partners (table partners are quickest and easiest)
4. Ask students to discuss their thoughts and ideas in their PAIR.
5. Call on a few pairs to SHARE their thoughts and ideas.

Video Demonstration